ἐλάλησαν
elalesan
spoke
a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter. Compare λέγω.
2 Peter 1:21 · Word #13
Lexicon G2980
| Lemma | λαλέω |
| Transliteration | laléō |
| Strong's | G2980 |
| In-context | spoke |
| Literal | spoke |
Morphology V AOR ACT IND 3P PL
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | AOR — Aorist — Simple occurrence, often past |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | PL — Plural — More than one |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | λαλέω |
| Strong's | G2980 |
SIBI-P1 G2980-04
they were speaking
| Root | λαλέω (laleō) |
| Core Meanings | to speak, to talk, to utter, to voice sounds, to express in speech |
| Semantic Range | to speak, talk, converse, proclaim, preach, utter sounds, express oneself verbally; often focuses on the act of speaking rather than the specific message. |
| Conceptual Significance | In the biblical text, λαλέω frequently highlights the act of verbal proclamation—whether by prophets, apostles, crowds, or even divine speech—underscoring the importance of spoken testimony and the public declaration of message in Israel’s and the early assembly’s life. |
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense (past ongoing/repeated action), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person plural (Gr,V,IAA3,,P,). |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect active indicative, third person plural, denotes ongoing or repeated action in past time, hence "they were speaking." The rendering preserves the root sense of λαλέω as the act of voicing or uttering speech, rather than emphasizing content (as λέγω often does), and clearly reflects the plural subject and continuous past aspect. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root λαλέω (to speak, to talk, to utter, to voice sounds, to express in speech)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
G2980-01 |
elalei | he/she was speaking |
G2980-05 |
elalesate | you were speaking |
G2980-06 |
elalesen | was uttering speech |
Word Usage (298 occurrences of G2980)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 9:18 | λαλοῦντος | lalountos | |
| Matthew 9:33 | ἐλάλησεν | elalesen | |
| Matthew 10:19 | λαλήσητε | lalesete |